


Deck the Halls with Existentialism

by torigates



Category: Cougar Town
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-04
Updated: 2013-11-04
Packaged: 2017-12-31 12:00:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1031495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/torigates/pseuds/torigates
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He was studying for his last exam of the semester (women’s studies—why had he ever thought that—okay, he had hoped to meet a lot of girls, but mostly the class turned out to be really <i>hard</i> and a lot of theory and not much naked ladies) and looking forward to going home for Christmas when she knocked on his door.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Deck the Halls with Existentialism

 

  


>   
>  “How’s college life?” Laurie asked, flopping down on Travis’ bed.
> 
> He was studying for his last exam of the semester (women’s studies—why had he ever thought that—okay, he had hoped to meet a lot of girls, but mostly the class turned out to be really _hard_ and a lot of theory and not much naked ladies) and looking forward to going home for Christmas when she knocked on his door.
> 
> Travis still didn’t have a lot of friends (apparently making friends was _hard_ when you got older and moved away from home and only talking to your parents and your parents’ friends), so he decided to ignore it, thinking it was one of Kevin’s friends and they’d come back later.
> 
> “Tra- _vis_!” Laurie’s muffled voice came from the other side of the door. She was probably the only person who could make his name sound like an unbearable screeching whine.
> 
> “Laurie?” he asked, slowly rising from where he was studying at his desk. He felt his spine crack a few times, as his body protested the change after several hours of sitting in the same spot.
> 
> “Open up!” she called as slowly walked across the room, cracking his neck and spine a few more times, before opening the door.
> 
> She was wearing a short, red and black pleated kilt, with white knee-high socks, a black, (and Travis hated that he recognized this) fashionably ripped t-shirt, and bright red lipstick.
> 
> “What up?” She threw her hands up in the air in greeting, a huge grin on her face.
> 
> “What... are you doing here?” he asked.
> 
> She pushed him aside and entered the dormitory. “The old people are off doing whatever it is that old people do when they’re not being young and awesome. So I came to see you!” she finished brightly.
> 
> “Right,” he said, still hovering in the doorway.
> 
> She moved further into the room, flopping down on the bed. “How’s college life?”
> 
> “Miserable,” he said, and dropped into his chair. “I just want exams to be _done_.”
> 
> “I hear that.” She rolled onto her stomach, her chin perched on her folded hands, her feet kicking back and forth behind her.
> 
> He arched an eyebrow.
> 
> “Okay, fine. I _don’t_ know what it’s like, jeez. You’re such a snob.”
> 
> “Am not.”
> 
> “Are too.”
> 
> He ignored her and looked half-heartedly at his textbook, before dropping his head dejectedly on the desk with a loud thump.
> 
> “What are you studying, anyway?” she asked.
> 
> He cringed, and suddenly he was glad he didn’t have to make eye-contact with her. The topic of this particular class was one he managed to keep to himself all semester, especially after he realised how hard it was going to be (which was conveniently just after the drop date. It figured). “Women’s studies.”
> 
> “Trav, seriously?” she asked. “You’re that dude?” He still couldn’t see the look on her face, but he could just _hear_ the judgement.
> 
> “I find it... interesting?” he tried.
> 
> “Oh you do _not_. Yu wanted to pick up chicks.”
> 
> “ _Fine_ ,” he admitted, and sat up, turning to face her. She had shifter her position, sitting with her back to the wall, he feet dangling over the edge of his bed. “Fine. I wanted to meet girls and now I’m learning about existentialism and Simone De Beauvoir and bell hooks—she doesn’t capitalize her name, you know. Somehow being a woman means you can disregard grammar because it is a tool of the patriarchy, and did you know that there were no actual bra burnings?” he took a few deep breaths, glad to finally let that out. It had been building for a while, and to be honest, Travis was a little scared to talk in class, because the few times he had tried it, a hundred female heads turned in his direction, staring at him, like how _dare_ he?
> 
> “Dude, do you feel better now?” she asked, and it was her turn to arch an eyebrow at him.
> 
> “Yeah, a little bit.”
> 
> “Good,” she said jumping off the bed in one smooth move that was actually quite impressive. “Now ditch the studying, you probably already have an A in the class anyway, and come have lunch with me. Then it will be time to go home before you know it. Your mom’s going crazy getting ready for you to come back. She made Grayson make six different kinds of cookies.” She had made her way across the room and was now standing eagerly by the doorway. She made gesturing motions with her hands for him to stand up.
> 
> “Yeah, but did she put my bed back?” he asked.
> 
> “And get rid of the jam room?”
> 
> Travis hung his head. “Of course, so silly of me to ask.”
> 
> Laurie just gave him a look. “You know what it’s like for your mom. Are you really going to be a dick about something that makes her feel better?”
> 
> He had to admit she had a point. He looked one more time at his text book. He really should do a bit more studying.
> 
> “Come on, big guy. I’ll buy.”
> 
> He conceded. Slowly getting to his feet, and grabbing a jacked. Besides, he did have an A in the class, and he couldn’t take much more theory.
> 
> “Did New Dad make gingerbread?” he asked as they walked out the door. The dorm hallways which were usually full of people, were quiet. Travis figured pretty much everyone was buckling down for exams.
> 
> “You know it,” Laurie said with a grin.
> 
> “Awesome.” The two of them walked out of the building arm in arm, and even though Laurie ended up making him pay (really, he shouldn’t have been surprised), it was still worth it to get away from studying. Afterwards she walked him to the exam room.
> 
> “Go get ‘em, tiger,” she said.
> 
> Travis just laughed and did the best he could.
> 
> As it turned out, college life: pretty awesome. Plus he got a B on the final, which he figured was fair considering the glass ceiling and all.

 

 

Um, sincere apologies to the women's studies community? You guys know I love you.


End file.
